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Topic: Can't open Google. Please help!! (Read 68411 times)

Hi,I run Windows 2000 on my PC. The other day, got a bug on it. My homepage was set to google. But apparantly got hijacked. On opening Google (through the address bar as well), it showed a warning that my PC was infected, and also like an online bar checking for viruses. It then recommended to download something to remove the virus (which I didn't). This page seemed to be from Google as it had it's logo on the top. I got rid of the virus with Super AntiVirus. However, now I can't open Google and other Google related websites. All other webpages open perfectly. How can I get Google back? Thanks.

Open the HOSTS file with notepad (it is just a text file) and look for a line with google on it and an other address possibly 127.0.0.1 (your local computer). this would block you from connecting to google as it doesn't exist on your local system.

I assume that you haven't previously edited the hosts file nor have any program that updates it ?

If there are any entries in the HOSTS file, copy and paste them here using the Code input icon (see image) in the post reply window. This stops any URLs that may be in it from being active (clickable).

Hi DavidR, Thanks for taking the time to help me out. You're right, I've never edited Host files before. Not sure either if there is an updating program or not. Following are the Google entries that were in the host file, other than these there were several thousands of others which I didn't want to put on here!! Thanks for your time.

Pardon my ignorance, but it would be great if you could tell me in layman's language the function of host file and its contents. If something like this happens in the future, what should be the right move? Can I delete the old host file? What if I delete the thousands of entries that the it lists? Thanks.

Pardon my ignorance, but it would be great if you could tell me in layman's language the function of host file and its contents. If something like this happens in the future, what should be the right move? Can I delete the old host file? What if I delete the thousands of entries that the it lists? Thanks.

The hosts file 'redirects' the sites to your own computer.Your computer has the number 127.0.0.1 (all computers have the same 'number'), also called localhost.If you add a site in hosts file it will be 'looped' to your computer and you can reach it.It's a way to avoid malware infection and it could be used by malware to avoid you to reach some good sites. There are quite some applications that manage the hosts file and can 'restore' it to default.

Probably, & for possible future use, would have been wise to use the FREE "HostsXpert", available at www.funkytoad.com/content/view/13/31/ and after installation, use it's "Restore MS Hosts" and/or "Remove Block Items" Feature(s) !?

A link on the funkytoad Site provides detailed Info on "Hosts File" ; as a counter-balance, I prefer putting "killbits" in the registry, which is done by the good and FREE "SpywareBlaster" from www.javacoolsoftware.com .

Windows first checks the hosts file for an address for the name entered into the browser. If found it will use that address, rather than "looking it up".

127.0.0.1 is the address of your computer, as Tech mentioned. If an name is proceded by 127.0.0.1, windows will look there. Normally the page won't be found on your computer, so you get the page can't be displayed error.

You can block sites with the hosts file by adding them to your hosts file with the 127.0.0.1 address. This is a common trick of malware, adding antivirus and other security sites to the hosts file with the 127.0.0.1. You can not reach them as windows will be looking on your computer.

The other variation on this is what happened to you. A site can also be redirected in the same manner, but using an ip address. I suspect in your case, the ip was a dead one as you didn't reach any page.

Editing the hosts file is easy. Open it with note pad, add the site you want to block, proceded with 127.0.0.1 (note, at least one space must be between the address and the name)

127.0.0.1 badsite or127.0.0.1 badsite

they will both work. After you are, click file, save. you can also remove items simply by deleting them and saving the edited copy.

Anything proceded by a # will be ignored. Open your old host file and look at the top section. It should have several lines starting with #. These are part of the default hosts file. You don't need them, they are just examples.

Also note that the hosts file does not have an extention, so take care if you edit it the saved version does not have the notepad default .txt

You can delete the old one if you wish, windows won't read it because you added an extention to it.